The Jerome area offers camping options throughout Michigan's Irish Hills region at elevations ranging from 1,000-1,200 feet. Most campgrounds operate from April through October with peak occupancy during summer race events at Michigan International Speedway. Winter temperatures typically drop below freezing, making seasonal camping the norm with limited year-round options.
What to do
Stargazing opportunities: Lake Hudson Recreation Area serves as an official dark sky preserve where light pollution restrictions create exceptional night viewing. "The best part of this campground is the stars at night! This is a dark sky preserve campground and the stars are the show. We stayed here at the end of the perseid meteor showers and saw several of falling meteors," notes Michelle M.
Fishing access: Lake Hudson Recreation Area provides both shoreline and boat fishing options on a no-wake lake. "The Lake is beautiful with a sand beach, no wake boating and grills. However it is rustic so there is goose poo," explains Marg B. Sites near the water offer convenient access for serious anglers.
Water recreation: River activities provide alternatives to lake swimming at Twin Pines Campground & Canoe Livery. "This was a beautiful, quiet campground with very friendly owners! The bathrooms have showers (newly renovated), and there are both electric & rural campsites! The river was a joy to kayak, although the water level was extremely low, making it hard to maneuver through certain parts," reports Kyla T.
Trail exploration: Hikers can access paths varying from short nature walks to longer routes. "The hiking trails and lake access points offer excellent opportunities for exercise. There is a hiking/mountain biking trail that goes around the lake. It wasn't well-marked and seemed to just be a series of connections through some woods, down roads, and across parts of the developed areas of the park," notes one visitor.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Lake Hudson Recreation Area offers secluded camping with natural separation. "Each site is separated from the next by young forest, so it lends to a very private and secluded atmosphere. It's also incredibly close to the lake, and I saw 3 spots with private lake front where they had moored their fishing boats for easy access," shares Meghan R.
Quiet atmosphere: Campers seeking peace away from larger state parks appreciate the tranquility. "If you're looking for peace, quiet, and seclusion, then this would be a great stop. This small campground (about 40 sites) is well off the beaten path, but still easy to access by road," Meghan R. adds about Lake Hudson.
Well-maintained facilities: W. J. Hayes State Park Campground maintains comfortable amenities. "We stayed in a tent on site 32, this was a very nice campground, peaceful, with trails and ample shade. Campsites were decently sized, fire pits were big, $5 per bundle of dry wood, showers were private with hot water," reports Miranda J.
Spacious sites: Many campgrounds offer room to spread out. "The sites are huge and private with tree growth separating each site. We brought our kayaks and went out on the lake which is big and quiet. The campground was quiet at night and we had a great fire in the well equipped pit," explains Michelle M.
What you should know
Rustic conditions: Lake Hudson lacks modern conveniences. "You must bring your water unless you want to hand pump it from the only central pump. There is non-flushing toilet (like a port-o-potty). There are also 30 amp electrical boxes if you want to plug something in," states Meghan R.
Limited water access: Some campgrounds have water challenges. "The only place to get water is a hand pump right when you enter the campground. This mid-evil hand pump should have been scraped years ago and is in need of some major repair work," explains Steven S.
Seasonal operations: Moscow Maples RV Park operates during specific months. "This is a smaller campground with some full timers or seasonal campers. We stayed a week and enjoyed our time there. The laundry room was older but clean and less expensive than most. Bathhouse was also older but clean," notes Brenda L.
Water quality concerns: Swimmers should check conditions. "I visited this campground last summer! It was a smaller campground, but very woodsy (just how I like it)! They have kayak/canoeing, a playground area for the kids, and good site sizes. The only thing that wasn't pleasant was the beach area (too small and muddy), and the fact that my boyfriend's mother had to pull off leeches various different times after being in the water!" warns Kyla T.
Tips for camping with families
Children's activities: Gateway Park Campground provides extensive recreational options. "They have a lot for the kids here: Pool 3ft-5ft, Air pillow, Large playground (very clean), Half basketball court, Sand Volleyball net, Rec room (small amount of games), Crafts on weekends, Corn hole boards -2 sets by pillow, Horse shoe pits - 2 sets by pillow," lists Melissa M.
Animal viewing: Local farms offer animal encounters. "A ride up the road was beautiful.. saw an Emu, goats, llamas, cows.. just beautiful!" shares Lisa D. These opportunities provide entertainment when weather limits outdoor activities.
Site selection: Families should research specific site locations. "Unless you had a camper with a fan to drown out noise, then getting our kids to sleep would have been very difficult. Barking dogs, teenagers running through and past campsites until around 11pm. All fell pretty quiet by midnight, after rangers walked through," reports Beth H.
Swimming options: Several locations offer water access with varying quality. "The swimming part of the lake requires a drive. The Lake is beautiful with a sand beach, no wake boating and grills. However it is rustic so there is goose poo," Marg B. explains.
Tips from RVers
Site dimensions: 6 Lakes Campground provides adequate space but varying shade. "Sites have perfect amount of shade. Has a boat access, with a beautiful lake. You can go through little canals to get to other parts of the lake," notes Ashley B.
Electrical connections: Power connections may require preparation. "Extension or long electrical cords may be needed, as boxes are at back end and halfway to next site over," advises Cheryl M.
Dump station access: Not all pet-friendly campgrounds have on-site dump stations. "They don't sell firewood there but a short drive gets you deal from the local farmer, the campground has no dump station so we had to drive to the next State campground, about a 30 minute drive, to dump the tanks," explains Steven S.
Site surfaces: RV pads vary between campgrounds. "The sites were grassy and mostly level. Trees added shade throughout," notes Brenda L. about Moscow Maples RV Park, while Gateway Park Campground offers "cement pads with all the hook ups. Some lots have shade, most are not."
